Point accepts bid on demolition

POINT PLEASANT — Point Pleasant City Council has approved a bid for the demolition and asbestos abatement of the former Franklin Building in the 400-block of Main Street.

Meeting in recessed session on Tuesday, council accepted a bid from E&R Excavating Co. in New Haven for $61,260 for the job. At the previous meeting, E&R submitted a bid for $51,260 for demolition only. Council asked Mayor Brian Billings to call E&R to see if it could amend the bid to include asbestos abatement as well, which the company did, adding $10,000 on to the initial bid. Even with the amended bid, E&R still had the lowest price of those submitted which included both demolition and asbestos abatement. The next lowest bid coming in at $78,000 for both demolition and asbestos abatement.

E&R personnel were to meet with city officials and business owners on opposite sides of the structure at 420/422 Main Street so everyone could get on the same page about what was going to happen with the demolition. Following Tuesday’s meeting there had been no specific demolition date scheduled but Billings said last week that if an agreement could be reached between council and E&R, work should begin right away to bring down the structure.

Billings also informed council he had sent a letter to the USDA requesting the funds for the project as instructed by Main Street Director Charles Humphreys. As previously reported, the city had been working with Humphreys to obtain funds from a revolving loan fund from the USDA made available to Main Street Point Pleasant. This is not a loan for the city, but free and clear funds in the form of an economic development grant to help pay for bringing down the structure — the owner of the former Wallpaper Outlet, which sits on one side of the former Franklin Building, will retain the deed to that specific property after the demolition.

In other council news:

Council approved the city’s budget for the new fiscal year at $2,640,205.